How to make perfect SOP

The SOP or the statement of purpose plays a pivotal role in your grad school application. As a student, you are bound to require a fair amount of direction in order to create a statement which enhances your chances of getting accepted in the school and portrays you as a student good enough to study in the school of your choice.

If you are about to write a SOP which will be attached along with your application, then here are some simple yet effective ways on how to make the perfect SOP quite easily.

Creating just the SOP your application letter needs!

Create a story instead of just statements – A perfect SOP will not just contain statements about your abilities and achievements but tell a story about you which connects to the reader emotionally. The reader gets involved in the storyline and empathizes with the narrator understanding why he took certain decisions in his life. SOP’s which tell your story will be remembered by the admissions committee no matter how many applications they go through.

Keep it precise – When we talk about a SOP being shaped in the form of a story, it does not mean you write a thesis on it. Revealing all the relevant information about you and your goals in life, the SOP must be precise so that the reader does not get bored and rejects your application altogether. Use a formal tone but always conversational.

Quantify the SOP – Adding numbers to your story helps them make sound more beautiful and realistic. For example, instead of writing ‘I volunteered as an English tutor with a local NGO during my engineering days and taught basic English to the children’ you can write ‘During my first year of engineering, I joined ‘English Excel’ which is a local NGO. For almost 11 months, I taught basic spoken and written English to around 50 4th and 5th grade students; all of whom secured an A in their English paper that year, making me immensely proud.’ Sounds better right? It also gives a new perspective to the reader who respects you more because the story looks more authentic than before.

Be specific with your words – Dig into details of what you have to say and be extremely specific about it. For example, if you talk about being in love with a specific field, you must be able to give some very strong reasons what made you fall in love with it and why you wish to make it a career choice.

Remember to customize the SOP – If you are applying to more than 1 university, do not make the mistake of preparing a basic template and sending the same SOP to them all by changing relevant details. Each university differs from another as they have a unique set of characteristics which define them. Always remember to customize the SOP and factor in those qualities which are most essential for a specific university. The SOP must be tailor-made for the admission officers belonging to that particular university.

Keep these factors in mind when creating your SOP and it is bound to come out perfect by all means. Make sure you send in your application way before the deadline!